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Is it possible to add a dozen or more host files to completly block Yahoo or MS Bing and keep it off the search engine.

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I do not want Bing in my computer.

I get angry and uninstall the new firefox because i can not keep bing at bay. Every time I go back and install Firefox because I do not like Opera I have Microsoft's Bing invading my system as yahoo search or bing.

I want to know what are the host files I need to enter, so I can completely block this search engine virus that keeps invading my system.

I do not want Bing in my computer. I get angry and uninstall the new firefox because i can not keep bing at bay. Every time I go back and install Firefox because I do not like Opera I have Microsoft's Bing invading my system as yahoo search or bing. I want to know what are the host files I need to enter, so I can completely block this search engine virus that keeps invading my system.

All Replies (6)

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hello, i don't think a host file would be successful in addressing the problem, since it sounds that the problem is already on your system. try those steps instead:

  1. please go to the firefox menu ≡ > addons > extensions & remove any suspicious entries (toolbars, things that you have not installed intentionally, don't know what purpose they serve, etc).
  2. also go to the windows control panel / programs and remove all toolbars or potentially unwanted software from there.
  3. finally, run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes & adwcleaner which are both specialised in removing adware and browser hijackers.

Remove a toolbar that has taken over your Firefox search or home page

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Haaaaaaaaaa, I run Linux and do not have a unknown toolbar.

I currently have removed Firefox again, because of the Bing Invasion problem. Firefox was fine, and only required an occasional cleanup managing search engines as does Opera & Chrome. But now that Firefox has embraced Bing's money it seems that the newest browser has been designed/encoded to install Bing often.

Maybe that is part of the financial agreement between Microsoft/Yahoo & Mozilla I haven't got a clue. What I am currently doing is not installing Firefox, until I can find a permanent method to keep Bing out of my computer.

Blocking host files has always been a solid way to cut down on computer advertising. Blocking the correct host files, should work well to keep the Bing Virus at bay.

I am certain I am not the only person that is having this problem, what we all need is a secure method to eliminate the reoccurring problem of a new Bing install.

Modified by namida12

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sorry i didn't realise you were on linux - the above instructions are obviously intended for windows systems. mozilla has a search deal with yahoo in the us (not bing or microsoft) which means that yahoo is the default engine. however users have of course the possibility to change it to any other engine of their choosing (refer to Search bar - add, change and manage search engines on Firefox) - if such a custom selection doesn't have an effect, something else will be wrong. in this case, could you reinstall firefox and then go to the firefox menu ≡ > help ? > troubleshooting information, copy the contents of that page and paste them here into a reply on the forum? this might give us a clue what is going on...

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For the record: Yahoo search is Microsoft Bing, with a different name.

Yahoo search was a great search engine in the past, that knowledge was given to Microsoft to improve Bing, and Yahoo signed an financial agreement with Microsoft to use Bing.

I can remove Bing, but it always returns in 6 hours, or in several days. It has the qualities of malware, in that it keeps reappearing. There is no method I can find of keeping Bing search off my system, other than to not install Firefox.

Application Basics


Name: Firefox Version: 34.0.5 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:34.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/34.0 Multiprocess Windows: 0/1

Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days


All Crash Reports

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Important Modified Preferences


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Important Locked Preferences


JavaScript


Incremental GC: true

Accessibility


Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0

Library Versions


NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.10.7 Version in use: 4.10.7

NSS Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC

NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC

NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC

NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Version in use: 3.17.2

Experimental Features


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Check the programs that are on your computer

Windows: Start > Control Panel > Uninstall Programs. Mac: Open the "Applications" folder. Linux: Check your user manual.

Go thru the list. If you find something that you don't know what it is, use a web search.

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Both Bing and Yahoo search engine plugins come with Firefox. And in the US Yahoo is the default search engine as of Firefox 34.

Load this internal URI in Firefox (in the Location Bar and hit Enter).

chrome://browser/content/search/engineManager.xul

Then you can click on and highlight a Search Engine, and then use the Remove button in the lower-right corner to remove any search engines that you don't want to have.

Then go into Options > Search and select a different default search engine. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-bar-add-change-manage-search-engines-firefox#w_set-a-default-search-engine